title: Avian NK activities, cells and receptors.
abstract: Natural killer (NK) activity has been examined in birds for over 30 years, but evidence that avian NK activity plays crucial roles in disease is only suggestive. In chickens, NK activity is mediated by TCR0 cells in the intestinal epithelium, but elsewhere subsets of alphabeta and gammadelta T cells (NKT cells) may be more important. There are few lectin-like NK receptor genes, located in the genomic region syntenic with the natural killer complex (NKC) as well as the major histocompatibility complex (MHC). In contrast, a huge number of Ig-like receptor genes are located in a region syntenic with the leukocyte receptor complex (LRC).
authors.affiliation: Terry Fox Laboratory, BC Cancer Research Centre, 675 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1L3, Canada. srogers@bccrc.ca <srogers@bccrc.ca>
authors.forename: Sally L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Rogers
authors.forename: Birgit C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Viertlboeck
authors.forename: Thomas W
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Göbel
authors.forename: Jim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kaufman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001717:Birds / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D002645:Chickens / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D003141:Communicable Diseases / Q000276:immunology; D007422:Intestines / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D055611:Natural Killer T-Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic / Q000502:physiology; D055607:Receptors, Natural Killer Cell / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D011971:Receptors, Immunologic; D055607:Receptors, Natural Killer Cell